Gladiator II star Pedro Pascal says he’d ‘enjoy’ wrestling Paul Mescal

The Gladiator II press train has continued to court an important demographic– the gays – with stars Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal teasing a wrestling match that the former “would enjoy”.

It’s not enough that Aftersun‘s Paul Mescal and The Last of Us favourite Pedro Pascal will be appearing in the long-awaited sequel as sweaty, bloody Roman hunks, hell-bent on revenge, wearing what are essentially leather skirts.

It’s not enough that they’ll be joined by Denzel Washington and The Fantastic Four: First Steps star Joseph Quinn, and it’s apparently not even enough that Pascal and Mescal improvised a snog during a fight scene that was cut from the final edit.

No, the cast of the Roman epic have decided to keep their chokehold on the gays with another promotional video in which the duo say they want to wrestle – and that Pascal is “going to enjoy it”.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal on who’d win a wrestling battle between the two of them:

Mescal: “I’m going to win that.”

Pascal: “But I’m going to enjoy it.”
pic.twitter.com/3p2XqujhQn

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 30, 2024

Speaking in the clip, reposted by Film X account @FilmUpdates, Quinn says the pair need to settle their disagreements “with a wrestling battle”.

All of us Strangers heartthrob Mescal replies: “I’m going to win that,” to which Pascal responds: “But I’m going to enjoy it.”

We’re not going to suggest that, as per Ancient Roman tradition, the wrestling match involve a lot of olive oil, because that would be inappropriate. We could, but we won’t.

The online response to the clip has not been totally unexpected. One hot-under-the-collar fan wrote: “Anyone have the link?” Another said: “The real winner is me, the viewer. Now, let’s get to it boys.”

And a third went with: “F*ck.” Same.

The latest trailer for confirmed that Mescal’s character was, indeed, the son of Russell Crowe’s original protagonist in 2000’s Gladiator, and showed Pascal looking particularly evil as he ransacks a town.

Gladiator II co-stars Washington as former slave Macrinus, Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, and Quinn as (presumably evil) mperor Geta. Gay veteran of stage and screen Derek Jacobi plays senator Gracchus, and Matt Lucas will also appear.

Gladiator II is due to be released on 22 November.

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